Microglia Chemotaxis Assay

Background of Microglia Migration

Microglia is an important specialized population of resident macrophagocytes broadly expressed throughout the central nervous system. Microglia play a crucial role in active immune functions in the central nervous system. Besides, microglia also participate in multiple neuronal and immune processes, such as neuronal excitability, synaptic organization, trophic neuronal support, and myelin turnover, as well as regulation of inflammation by releasing cytokines and chemokines, phagocytosis, and brain protection and repair, which is intimately linked to the propagation of neuroinflammation. Microglia are baseline motile in a healthy brain independent of neuronal activity. The microglia motility could be used as immune surveillance, monitoring the brain damage by detecting the alteration of microglia phenotypes and migration. The brain injury and tissue damage will activate the microglia, stimulating the microglia motility and activating the directed migration of microglia toward lesion sites. The overexpression and phenotypic variation of microglia because of the increased concentration of pathogens and inflammatory cytokines will cause the accumulation of harmful microglia at lesion sites recruiting additional immune cells. and lead to a series of inflammatory disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury. A detailed perception of the molecular mechanisms of signal transduction pathways modulating microglia migration could help researchers to explore the therapeutic candidates against related diseases.

Fig.1 Migration and chemotaxis are affected by the microglial activation state. (Lively & Schlichter, 2013)

Microglia Chemotaxis Assay

Creative Biolabs' professional scientific team offers global researchers dependable in vitro microglia chemotaxis assay for revealing the molecular mechanisms of action and drug candidates screening. ATP released by injured neurons acts on the microglia receptors P2Y₁₂ and P2X₄, which stimulates the microglia migration through a PI3-kinase and Akt mediated pathway. The neuropathologies related to complement cascade will enhance the expression of complement 5a (C5a), which stimulates the microglia migration through a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein pathway. We provide reproducible and stable human iPSC-derived microglial cells, detect microglia chemotaxis concentration response to ATP or C5A over time.

Creative Biolabs is committed to delivering efficient and reliable microglia chemotaxis assay services for our global clients. Utilizing our professional high-throughput platform allows researchers to understand the mechanisms of action of microglia migration. Researchers could therefore screen therapeutic candidates for multiple neurodegenerative diseases. We promise you a low cost and risk and high efficacy assay at early-phase drug discovery. Please contact us for more information.

Reference

1. Lively, S.; Schlichter, L.C. The microglial activation state regulates migration and roles of matrix-dissolving enzymes for invasion. Journal of neuroinflammation. 2013 10(1): 1-14.